Scientists to unlock genes behind common serious illnesses

Scientists to unlock genes behind common serious illnesses
The scientists behind this week’s discovery that some people are genetically predisposed to obesity are poised to reveal the genetic secrets behind a series of other serious but common illnesses including bipolar disorder, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
Source:- The Guardian, Saturday 14 April 2007, page 8

Child sex attacker jailed ‘indefinitely’
A “cunning and devious sexual predator” was jailed indefinitely yesterday after he was convicted of luring a 9-year-old girl into woods where he took photographs as he indecently assaulted her.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 14 April 2007, page 25

Churchwarden’s abuse punished 25 years on
A churchwarden’s sexual abuse of two children “was brushed under the carpet” when he confessed to his congregation more than 25 years ago, a court was told yesterday.
Source:- The Times, Saturday 14 April 2007, page 25

Paedophile lies spread by letters
A malicious letter campaign has wrongly accused four men of being paedophiles, police said yesterday. An investigation has been launched and the victims have moved to clear their names after the letters were sent to homes in the Northants village of Thrapston. Police said that most of the letters had been recovered.
Source:- Daily Telegraph, Saturday 14 April 2007, page 6

Britain’s fight against drugs ‘a total failure’
Government attempts to persuade thousands of young people to stay away from drugs have failed and done nothing to curb the soaring popularity of illegal substances, a devastating report will warn this week. It will be launched on Wednesday by the new UK Drugs Policy Commission, whose members include distinguished figures from the worlds of health, policing, drugs research and academia.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 15 April 2007, page 1

One third of pupils have tried cannabis by the age of 15
One in three young teenagers have used cannabis, some on a daily basis, according to new research, based on a long-term study by Queen’s University, Belfast, of 4,000 pupils aged 14 and 15 to be published this week in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Source:- Independent on Sunday 15 April 2007, page 12

Mothers miss a ‘friend’ as health visitors decline
A survey by the National Family and Parenting Institute reveals that the number of health visitors in England fell from 9,800 to 9,000 last year. The drop in numbers means they are increasingly targeting vulnerable children in needy families while providing most parents with only a skeleton service, even though most new parents welcome advice on issues such as breastfeeding, weaning and hygiene. That runs the risk of stigmatising families who receive regular visits, according to the institute.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 15 April 2007, page 14

Insane! Stop the Mental Health Bill
Tomorrow, the government will attempt to force through its mental health reforms – reforms that this newspaper opposes and which experts warn ignore the care and treatment needs of thousands of vulnerable children.
Source:- Independent on Sunday, 15 April 2007, page 1

Anorexics given new rights
Teenage anorexics will win greater rights to refuse treatment for their eating disorders under controversial new mental health laws to be debated by MPs this week.
Source:- The Observer, Sunday 15 April 2007, page 20

Bribery and drugs exposed at private jail
An investigation by an undercover reporter working as a prison officer has exposed conditions in Rye Hill prison, a private jail where inmates have easy access to drugs and mobile phones.
Source:- The Guardian, Monday 16 April 2007, page 1

Depressives ‘failed’
Changes to the ways GPs work have left “considerable gaps” in the care of patients who suffer from depression, mental health charities Depression Alliance and SANE argue in a report today.
Source:- The Times, Monday 16 April 2007, page 24

Ban the under 21s from drinking, say Blair advisers
The government needs to take drastic action to combat underage drinking, according to left-leaning think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research, who have suggested increasing the legal drinking age to 21.
The IPPR said the level of drinking among young people as young as 12 needed to be tackled, and also mooted increasing taxes on drinks aimed at young people.
Source:- Daily Mail, Monday 16 April 2007, page 4

Paedophile teachers gets school bus job
A paedophile teacher banned from working in schools got a job as a school bus driver and went on to abuse four boys because no checks were made on him.
Neil Scott, who has been jailed for five years for a total of six indecent assaults on boys, was placed on List 99 after being sacked as a teacher in 1986 but later got a job for a bus company, which later won a contract to drive pupils to school in Crawley, West Sussex.
Source:- The Sun, Monday 16 April 2007, page 20

Scottish news

Creator of paedophile TV drama says government not rehabilitating offenders
The writer and director of a Channel 4 drama about sex offenders has claimed the government is failing to properly rehabilitate paedophiles.
Rowan Joffe said the closure of Britain’s last secure unit for offenders five years ago led to a rise in more offenders committing crimes.
The main character is a man released from prison for abusing two young girls who struggles to reintegrate into society following the closure of his rehabilitation centre. It has been criticised as being too sympathetic towards paedophiles.
Source:- The Sunday Herald, 15 April 2007

Drugs plan pledged to help addicts break cycle of crime
Every police division in Glasgow will have access to an arrest-and-referral scheme for drug addicts and alcoholics if Labour is re-elected to run the council, the party has pledged.
The programme would offer immediate treatment to addicts and includes home visits and counselling in an effort to break the cycle between crime and addiction.
It is reckoned that around 70 per cent of all cases handled by Scottish courts are drug related, with addiction inextricably linked to house-breaking, shoplifting and prostitution.
Source:- The Herald, Monday 16 April 2007

Welsh news
 
Teen fire-bombed social worker’s car
A teenager fire-bombed a social worker’s care after being paid to do so by an angered parent Cardiff crown court heard yesterday.
Steven Lewis, 18, wept as he said that he had taken up the father’s offer of £50 for anyone willing to carry out the act.
The father blamed the social worker for taking his children.
The car exploded as the social worker was visiting a family in the Caerphilly area in May last year.
Source:- South Wales Echo, Friday 13 April 2007

Disability hustings
A group which represents people with learning difficulties has hosted a hustings session.
Representatives of the four main political parties were invited to the Wales People First event held at the YMCA in Pontypridd.
Source:- South Wales Echo, Saturday 14 April 2007

Disabled man’s attack ordeal
A gang of youths pulled their friend away in disgust after he attacked a partially sighted man last week in Cardiff. Michael Hills, who is registered disabled and blind in one eye was attacked by the boy on his way to the train station.
His friend pulled the boy away after he had hit Hills five or six times.
Source:- South Wales Echo, Saturday 14 April 2007

Disabled ‘want more information’
Disabled people in South Wales have called on councils to provide more information on services.
The call came in a survey of what disabled people view as important. The group have also called for improved access to buildings.
Source:- South Wales Echo, Saturday 14 April 2007